Run for Rocky kicks off

By Adam El-Baba

The Windsor Pride Education and Resource Centre kicked off their Run for Rocky campaign April 4 at the St. Clair Centre for the Arts.

Partnered with Rocky Campana’s parents, Rob and Nancy, the event is geared toward raising awareness and funds for gay-straight alliances in high schools across Windsor and Essex County and to promote you suicide prevention and anti-bullying programs. The money raised will go toward supporting GSAs across Ontario.

Ambassador for the Run for Rocky campaign Nancy Campana said she is excited about the feedback so far.

“GSAs start at home,” said Campana. “It’s important to support our youth and help keep them safe.”

Gay-straight alliances are clubs in high schools that provide support when students are coming out. They encourage youth to break through isolation, look for support from people close to them and help students commit to building bridges between faculty and students.

The run will be held April 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. starting at Dieppe Gardens. It will consist of a five kilometre run down to the Ambassador Bridge followed by a walk to and from the University of Windsor back to Dieppe Gardens.

“Hopefully in six or seven years we won’t need a Run for Rocky anymore because our GSAs will be in place,” said Campana. “There will be a program of acceptance and tolerance and this will just be a second nature. Hopefully this run will spread into the Toronto area.”

Teresa Piruzza, minister of children and youth services, said it’s critical all students know they are accepted regardless of where they live, what they look like or what they believe to ensure the success of every students.

“There are a lot of supports and a lot of programs available for all youth and I have to say that we provide supports that build opportunity and (help students) know that there is someone listening,” said Piruzza.

The event is partnered with the U of W, St. Clair College, Greater Essex County District School Board, Windsor Police Services, Children’s Aid Society, Family Services Windsor-Essex, the Windsor Star, CBC and the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association. Participants of the run received pledge forms via www.runforrocky.com.

Rocky died last August at the age of 23. He graduated from the University of Western’s Richard Ivey School of Business graduate program. He was known to work over 30 volunteer hours a week. He volunteered at Pride Library, raised money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and worked with the Alzheimer’s Society of Canada.

“Rocky was an adamant person that he wanted something done in the schools to help people understand the gay population,” said Rob. “When Rocky was in high school he had difficult times … he was always a person who wanted to help. Even though he was a part of this problem, he still wanted to help people understand that being different doesn’t mean we can’t treat people the same as everyone else. That was Rocky.”